10 minutes behind an overtaking lorry

[paddyhasneeds]

I can't be bothered to rant, and I'm not suggesting all Lorry drivers are like this, but today I literally spent 10 minutes in lane 2 of a dual carriageway whilst one lorry travelling at 56mph overtook two other lorries travelling at 55mph.

I'm wary of this being another "lorry drivers vs. car drivers" thread but from my perspective all three drivers involved were utter tools, the one overtaking for doing so and the two being overtaken for not simply dropping back a little and letting him in - you can't really miss the fact that there's been a fking great HGV parallel to your cab for 5 minutes and it still hasn't passed you.

As it stands you have whatever chaos 10 minutes worth of cars queuing up behind us would have caused.

[Spanna]

I can just imagine all the brake dabbing...

[rallycross]

Ten minutes! it just shows how difficult 2 lane motorways can be.
I think you'd needed to have drop in front of the lane hogger while the rest of that ten minute queue got passed but gently drifted back down to 40 mph so the truck he just passed got back along side him then speed off, would that make the truck driver aware of the ten minutes everyone else lost? Probably not!

[Elroy Blue]

One of the biggest causes of congestion on the m/ways.

[Astra Dan]

I have no sympathy any more. I frequently have to drive 7.5 tonne hire lorries. I understand some drivers are under pressure to deliver, but there just is no point in overtaking unles you have a clear advantage. Most lorry drivers know how much they're loaded and have some idea what's going to happen on a straight or hill. I just know there's no point overtaking another lorry that leaves me on the straights but struggles up hills.
Also, as said, if I've noticed another lorry next to me that looks like it's lost it's momentum, I drop back and let him in. No skin off my nose.

[thinfourth2]

Elroy Blue said:

One of the biggest causes of congestion on the m/ways.

Is the thousands of cars


But my car journey is more important then yours so get the fk off my road you assholes

[rossw46]

I was on a course a few weeks ago,and was telling some of the chaps about the 10 minutes I'd spent behind a lorry as you did OP,when I eventually got past I stuck my hand out the window and presented him a not so friendly hand gesture (made me feel better!).

One of the chaps on the course told me that when this happens to him,he would eventually get in front of said lorry,and gradually slow down to lorry pace,and then slower.When said lorry pulls out to overtake he let's them get a fair way up next to him and then accelerates away so the lorry has to pull back in.This could,according to him,be repeated once more depending on how pissed off he was.

Made me chuckle,but not convinced this is the answer!

[Pkh72]

thinfourth2 said:

Elroy Blue said:

One of the biggest causes of congestion on the m/ways.

Is the thousands of cars


But my car journey is more important then yours so get the fk off my road you assholes

Maybe so but the OP's point is still a real issue and pointing the finger everywhere else doesn't make it disappear.

[off_again]

Once was able to drive down the whole of the M180 from Hull to the M18 behind two trucks having an elephant race! My reconing is that is 25 miles at a steady 56MPH and caused as massive multi-mile tailback.

Truckers in general are quite considerate and reasonable. Just takes one to make life miserable for hundreds of motorists.

[poing]

rossw46 said:

I was on a course a few weeks ago,and was telling some of the chaps about the 10 minutes I'd spent behind a lorry as you did OP,when I eventually got past I stuck my hand out the window and presented him a not so friendly hand gesture (made me feel better!).

One of the chaps on the course told me that when this happens to him,he would eventually get in front of said lorry,and gradually slow down to lorry pace,and then slower.When said lorry pulls out to overtake he let's them get a fair way up next to him and then accelerates away so the lorry has to pull back in.This could,according to him,be repeated once more depending on how pissed off he was.

Made me chuckle,but not convinced this is the answer!

So he holds himself up for even longer on purpose? If he's got that much spare time why is he so bothered about being held up in the first place?

[BliarOut]

thinfourth2 said:

Elroy Blue said:

One of the biggest causes of congestion on the m/ways.

Is the thousands of cars


But my car journey is more important then yours so get the fk off my road you assholes

Oi, bugger off back to Scotland. This is an English issue...

[jmorgan]

rossw46 said:

I was on a course a few weeks ago,and was telling some of the chaps about the 10 minutes I'd spent behind a lorry as you did OP,when I eventually got past I stuck my hand out the window and presented him a not so friendly hand gesture (made me feel better!).

One of the chaps on the course told me that when this happens to him,he would eventually get in front of said lorry,and gradually slow down to lorry pace,and then slower.When said lorry pulls out to overtake he let's them get a fair way up next to him and then accelerates away so the lorry has to pull back in.This could,according to him,be repeated once more depending on how pissed off he was.

Made me chuckle,but not convinced this is the answer!

Why ever for? Life is too short, hope there is a jam up ahead and lorry catches up

[anonymous-user]

paddyhasneeds said:

I can't be bothered to rant, and I'm not suggesting all Lorry drivers are like this, but today I literally spent 10 minutes in lane 2 of a dual carriageway whilst one lorry travelling at 56mph overtook two other lorries travelling at 55mph.

You've just described the entire A34 section between Newbury and Winchester

[Nimbus]

paddyhasneeds said:

I can't be bothered to rant, and I'm not suggesting all Lorry drivers are like this, but today I literally spent 10 minutes in lane 2 of a dual carriageway whilst one lorry travelling at 56mph overtook two other lorries travelling at 55mph.

I'm wary of this being another "lorry drivers vs. car drivers" thread but from my perspective all three drivers involved were utter tools, the one overtaking for doing so and the two being overtaken for not simply dropping back a little and letting him in - you can't really miss the fact that there's been a fking great HGV parallel to your cab for 5 minutes and it still hasn't passed you.

As it stands you have whatever chaos 10 minutes worth of cars queuing up behind us would have caused.

Welcome to everyday on the A34 between Oxford and Newbury...

Asda lorries are the worst at the moment, as well as being limited to 56mph, (which they proudly boast about with a big sticker on the back door, saying its 'for the environment'), they also seem unable to change down a gear, which means on the hilly parts they are generally doing 30... causing constantly concertinaing traffic, and no small number of rear end shunts...

I know they cant go faster than 56, and it's not their fault, but they do know they are going to be crawling up the hills, so why they can't change down a gear to keep their momentum, or else stay on the inside lane, I really don't know... they just cause chaos

[paddyhasneeds]

thinfourth2 said:

Elroy Blue said:

One of the biggest causes of congestion on the m/ways.

Is the thousands of cars


But my car journey is more important then yours so get the fk off my road you assholes

Not at all. The majority of lorries are very well driven, as I said I don't want this to be "anti lorry" as I'm not.

Of course you get car drivers who do stupid things and cause hold ups. I'm not excusing their driving but mostly they're pretty ignorant of the problems caused by it.

The driver of the overtaking lorry couldn't have not been aware of the effect that his actions were having. It was deliberately cretinous.

[paddyhasneeds]

Symbolica said:

You've just described the entire A34 section between Newbury and Winchester

Funny how, given the entire UK map to stick a pin in, you and the next poster have identified the exact stretch of road.

[BliarOut]

Nimbus said:

paddyhasneeds said:

I can't be bothered to rant, and I'm not suggesting all Lorry drivers are like this, but today I literally spent 10 minutes in lane 2 of a dual carriageway whilst one lorry travelling at 56mph overtook two other lorries travelling at 55mph.

I'm wary of this being another "lorry drivers vs. car drivers" thread but from my perspective all three drivers involved were utter tools, the one overtaking for doing so and the two being overtaken for not simply dropping back a little and letting him in - you can't really miss the fact that there's been a fking great HGV parallel to your cab for 5 minutes and it still hasn't passed you.

As it stands you have whatever chaos 10 minutes worth of cars queuing up behind us would have caused.

Welcome to everyday on the A34 between Oxford and Newbury...

Asda lorries are the worst at the moment, as well as being limited to 56mph, (which they proudly boast about with a big sticker on the back door, saying its 'for the environment'), they also seem unable to change down a gear, which means on the hilly parts they are generally doing 30... causing constantly concertinaing traffic, and no small number of rear end shunts...

I know they cant go faster than 56, and it's not their fault, but they do know they are going to be crawling up the hills, so why they can't change down a gear to keep their momentum, or else stay on the inside lane, I really don't know... they just cause chaos

Keeping the lorries on the inside lane during peak hours has really helped on the A14 and the M11.

[anonymous-user]

paddyhasneeds said:

Symbolica said:

You've just described the entire A34 section between Newbury and Winchester

Funny how, given the entire UK map to stick a pin in, you and the next poster have identified the exact stretch of road.

I knew it! Bloody nightmare that road, mainly because of the sheer volume of lorries heading down to Southampton I suppose.

[anonymous-user]

Peak hour HGV L2 bans (on 2-lane roads) are a viable and realistic option. There is/was a trial on the A14 and it is/was effective. (I can't tell you if it's still there as I don't work for that auth any more.)

The continentals still ignore it though. But they hammer along at 70mph so not so much of an issue.

ETA it apparantly IS still there! ^^

Edited by Opulent on Wednesday 2nd November 21:44

[Nimbus]

BliarOut said:

Keeping the lorries on the inside lane during peak hours has really helped on the A14 and the M11.

I'm sure it would on the A34, there is a 5ish mile stretch which is supposed to have just those rules ( big signs up so the lorries can read it too...), north bound over the two main hills, but its blatantly ignored, as its not enforced in any way..

Edited by Nimbus on Wednesday 2nd November 21:46